Mark Warner on Crime

Democratic VA Governor

Endorsed by Virginia Police Benevolent Association

Warner’s speech was followed by a news conference in which he was endorsed by about 30 law enforcement officials as well as the Virginia Police Benevolent Association. Warner was endorsed last month by the Virginia Fraternal Order of Police.
Floyd County Sheriff Shannon Zeman, a Republican, said that despite his party affiliation, he’s supporting Warner, calling him “a friend of mine, a friend of law enforcement.”

Initiated statewide Amber Alert system

Both men started out by citing what they’d done to boost law enforcement during their respective political careers. “It’s easy to stand up here and say I support you. The best evidence of that is not the talk, but the actions when you have the
opportunity,” Warner said. He said he’d shown that support by helping initiate the statewide Amber Alert system, investing in a new radio system, toughening anti-drunken-driving laws and helping to fund salaries with the hard-fought 2004 budget.

2004: much-needed funding for law enforcement

In recent years, the Virginia State Police, Sheriff’s Offices, and other law enforcement agencies have faced significant challenges in recruiting, training and retaining enough officers to meet the demand for protecting Virginia’s citizens. Governor
Warner’s 2004 budget reforms allowed Virginia to provide much-needed funding for law enforcement officials at the state and local level.At the end of the Governor’s term, there were 125 more troopers on Virginia’s roads than when he took office.

Supports a fair death penalty

Mark Warner supports the death penalty. But Mark knows that when government has the authority to take someone’s life, it must do everything reasonably possible to make sure that the government convicts the right person.
Recently Virginia has had to commute the sentence of a death row inmate when DNA evidence showed that he didn’t commit the crime.
Mark is committed to DNA testing as an important new tool to prove the guilt or innocence of those charged with capital crimes.
Mark will continue to consider ways to modify Virginia’s law limiting the introduction of new evidence 21 days after trial to ensure that no innocent people are subjected to death row because of some arbitrary deadline.

Source: Campaign web site, MarkWarner2001.org/issues
, Nov 6, 2001

More enforcement and more prevention

Mark Warner knows that a law is worthless if it’s not enforced. His policy will be simple: if you break the law, you’ll be punished. People need to know that if they commit crimes and disrupt the safety of our communities, they’ll be punished to
the fullest extent of the law.

Crime prevention is critical, and it just makes good common sense. Every $1 invested in crime prevention saves $3 down the road. But even when the law is enforced and criminals are arrested and convicted, a crime has
still been committed. A comprehensive public safety strategy includes aggressive efforts to prevent crimes from happening in the first place. Mark has built a career of creating jobs and promoting economic opportunity, and he knows that
when people are working, they aren’t committing crimes. A job is the best crime-fighting program around. Mark is committed to promoting economic opportunity all over Virginia to give young people hope and help them to see that crime doesn’t pay.

Source: Campaign web site, MarkWarner2001.org/issues
, Nov 6, 2001

Focus juvenile justice on workforce training

When juveniles commit crimes, they should be punished. But juvenile centers are not prisons, and every juvenile in detention will one day make the transition back to the community. Often juveniles come out of jail lacking any preparation to be successful
in life. Virginia’s juvenile justice system needs a stronger commitment to re-entry programs and career training, so that when juveniles ultimately leave the system, they will be equipped to enter the workforce as productive members of society.

Source: Campaign web site, MarkWarner2001.org/issues
, Nov 6, 2001

Supports Virginia’s victim’s bill of rights

Often it seems that the justice system ignores the victims of crime.
Mark supports Virginia’s victim’s bill of rights.

Source: Campaign web site, MarkWarner2001.org/issues
, Nov 6, 2001

Abolish parole

Nothing is more important than keeping families safe and secure. That’s why Mark supports community policing and the abolition of parole. Because a job is the best crime-fighting program around,
Mark is committed to promoting economic opportunity all over Virginia to give young people hope and help them to see that crime doesn’t pay.